Objective
Periodic in-track rail inspections are performed to detect critical defects before they grow enough to cause structural failure. Nondestructive inspection (NDI) technologies currently used worldwide rely mainly on conventional ultrasonic technologies. Thes e use water filled rubber wheels, containing transmitter-receiver piezoelectric transducers, that are kept in continuous contact to the rail running surface. These methods have limitations as they require contact conditions between the inspection probes an d the surface of the rail track. Although such contact ultrasonic methodologies have been extensively and successfully used in detecting many surface-breaking and internal cracks, and are proved to be reliable, they are not perfect. In fact, train derailme nts caused by broken rails, which pass inspection, still occur. Defect detectability may be affected by rail surface condition, railhead geometry, defect geometry and orientation, electrical and/or mechanical noise introduced into the transducer, and inade quate transducer-to-rail surface coupling. Moreover, inspection speeds are very low to maintain constant coupling between the two parts. In an effort to improve rail track inspections, this project proposes a non-contact ultrasonic system for periodic in-field inspections of rail tracks that has recognized advantages over conventional technologies currently available to the railroad industry. In particular, the system, consisting of a pulsed laser and an air-coupled transducer, has the following advantages : ? flexibility to discover cracks that are not detectable with methods currently available to the railroad industry; ? inspection is non-contact and remote; ? presence of oxides or oil on the rail surface enhances laser generation; ? inspection speed can be higher than with contact methods\\. The feasibility study, the development and the manufacture of a prototype will prove the capability of the proposed inspection technique for in-track rail flaw defect detection.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering signal processing
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics pulsed lasers
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electrical engineering piezoelectrics
- natural sciences physical sciences acoustics ultrasound
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP6-2002-SME-1
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
MORGANO (TREVISO)
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.